Street gutter

Street gutter

A street gutter is a depression running parallel to a road designed to collect rainwater flowing along the street and divert it into a storm drain. Where a curbstone is present, a gutter may simply be formed by the convergence of the road surface and the vertical face of the sidewalk; otherwise, a dedicated gutter surface made of concrete may be present. A gutter alleviates water buildup on a street, allowing pedestrians to pass without walking through puddles and reducing the risk of hydroplaning by road vehicles.

Gutters were a frequent talking point of English playwright Oscar Wilde who claimed that all of humanity lived in gutters, and attributed the worth of an individual to whether they were lying face down or face up in said gutter.

Not all streets have gutters, and they are most often found in areas of a city which experience high pedestrian traffic. In past centuries when urban streets did not necessarily have sanitary sewers, gutters were made deep enough to serve.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gutter — may refer to:* Rain gutter, a narrow channel which collects rainwater from the roof of a building and diverts it away from the structure, typically into a drain. * Street gutter, a depression which runs alongside a city street, usually at the… …   Wikipedia

  • Gutter — Gut ter, n. [OE. gotere, OF. goutiere, F. goutti[ e]re, fr. OF. gote, goute, drop, F. goutte, fr. L. gutta.] [1913 Webster] 1. A channel at the eaves of a roof for conveying away the rain; an eaves channel; an eaves trough. [1913 Webster] 2. A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gutter member — Gutter Gut ter, n. [OE. gotere, OF. goutiere, F. goutti[ e]re, fr. OF. gote, goute, drop, F. goutte, fr. L. gutta.] [1913 Webster] 1. A channel at the eaves of a roof for conveying away the rain; an eaves channel; an eaves trough. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gutter plane — Gutter Gut ter, n. [OE. gotere, OF. goutiere, F. goutti[ e]re, fr. OF. gote, goute, drop, F. goutte, fr. L. gutta.] [1913 Webster] 1. A channel at the eaves of a roof for conveying away the rain; an eaves channel; an eaves trough. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gutter snipe — Gutter Gut ter, n. [OE. gotere, OF. goutiere, F. goutti[ e]re, fr. OF. gote, goute, drop, F. goutte, fr. L. gutta.] [1913 Webster] 1. A channel at the eaves of a roof for conveying away the rain; an eaves channel; an eaves trough. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gutter stick — Gutter Gut ter, n. [OE. gotere, OF. goutiere, F. goutti[ e]re, fr. OF. gote, goute, drop, F. goutte, fr. L. gutta.] [1913 Webster] 1. A channel at the eaves of a roof for conveying away the rain; an eaves channel; an eaves trough. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gutter — ► NOUN 1) a shallow trough beneath the edge of a roof, or a channel at the side of a street, for carrying off rainwater. 2) (the gutter) a very poor or squalid environment. 3) technical a groove or channel for flowing liquid. ► VERB 1) (of a… …   English terms dictionary

  • gutter — [gut′ər] n. [ME gotere < OFr gutiere < L gutta, a drop] 1. a trough or channel along or under the eaves of a roof, to carry off rain water 2. a narrow channel along the side of a road or street, to carry off water, as to a sewer 3. a place… …   English World dictionary

  • Gutter Brothers — Infobox musical artist | Name = Gutter Brothers Img capt = Img size = Background = group or band Alias = Origin = London, UK Genre = Skiffle, Blues rock Years active = 1985 1993 and 2003 present Label = Associated acts = URL =… …   Wikipedia

  • gutter — {{11}}gutter (n.) late 13c., watercourse, water drainage channel along the side of a street, from Anglo Norman gotere, from O.Fr. guitere, goutiere (13c., Mod.Fr. gouttière) gutter, spout (of water), from goute a drop, from L. gutta a drop.… …   Etymology dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”